Hello All,

I know this thread has been covered and I've been reading most of them but haven't really got a full grasp on the problem(s) that I am having. Background information on my ride: 2006 S60 2.5T FWD (106,500 miles.) So, I decided to redo all of my brakes this weekend, front and rear rotors and pads. I was able to do all of that, no problems at all as I have done many brake jobs before.

One thing that I also wanted to do was a complete brake fluid flush because I noticed that the color is very dirty looking and the car has over 100K miles. I used a pressure kit because it's the only way to go for a job like this. I pumped the pressure up to 20-22 psi, which is more than enough to flush the lines out. Right away, dirty old fluid comes out and replaced by new, fresh fluid. All four brake lines were flushed out and the reservoir filled to recommended level. I start the car, knowing that I have to pump brake pedal a few times to engage the pistons, I pumped and pumped and pumped.

Problem is the pedal is too soft and almost touch the floor. What is going on? I was really careful not to let air into the lines as I know this can cause soft pedal. Also, the caliper springs are installed correctly as others on this forum have said that if it is installed incorrectly, it could lead to soft pedal. If anyone here can shed some light on this, I absolutely welcome it. Thanks in advanced.

 

If the pedal is spongy, it has air in the line. You would need to follow the procedure in the service manual to bleed the brakes.

It would tell you which brake drum, or caliper to start with. Every car is different. Not a difficult fix. Hopefully that is it.

 

Ughhh! After a second and third bleed, now I know why my pedal was soft and spongy! Wasn't air in the line at all! The bleeder valve has a slow leak in the rear driver's side caliper. Not the bleeder nipple but the stem. I wiggle it a little bit and noticed that small amount of fluid are trickling out. This is unbelievable! I've been slaving for almost two days and this is why pedals wasn't taking. Now, most likely the caliper needs to be replaced and another flush, yet again!

 

After looking at it again, I just realized that the bleeder valve screw is a one piece design and from the picture at FCP Euro, that confirms my suspicions. I initially thought that the only thing that should move when you unscrew the bleeder valve is the hex nut but not so. The whole stem unscrew! The reason I was getting leakage was because I didn't tighten enough! I guess I didn't want to over torque and break the nipple. That was it! Just needed to torque it down a little more. Problem solved! Two days of frustrations and headaches, not to mention the time that I will never get back. Thank you guys for your help. It is always appreciated!